Sorry's Not A Promise
by saphirefox-irl
Summary: One shot. Set after the film. Batman's caught the Scarecrow. Kind of wierd but I'm happy with it.
1. Sorry's Not A Promise

Obviously I don't own batman or anything to do with it. (Unless you count toys I dressed up to look like characters in it. Why am I so immature sometimes?)

Batman doesn't come across very nice in this. If you don't like that don't flame me. It's just a fic.

The idea for this just came into my head (while playing with above mentioned toys.) I wrote it in less than an hour and it's short.

Warnings for darkness and mentions of child abuse, violence and rape.

* * *

He looked up when Bruce entered the cave. His blue eyes were like two startling orbs of colour in the dark place. There was a coldness to them as they stared out from the bruised face, sorrow floating just beneath the surface. "The fact that you feel guilty," he whispered, "doesn't make it alright"  
Bruce stared down at him for a moment before moving to sit. "I know." Standing again after a momenthe picked up a slightly dusty glass of water and helped Crane to drink some. The chains clanked as he moved.  
"Why don't you just kill me?" the man who was also the scarecrow asked when the glass was removed. "It would be the kindest thing anyone has done for me"  
"I'm not going to murder you"  
"No, you're far to noble for that." He laughed, a broken sound. "It's fine for you to keep me tied up down here, to beat me, to... rape me. But putting me out of my misery, that would be immoral"  
Bruce rested his head in his large hands. "This is so screwed up." He leaned back and closed his eyes, listening to the constant chirping of the bats. "I'm supposed to be a hero. And your supposed to be a villan, not another victim"  
He stood up and started to remove the numerous chains wrapped around Johnathan's skinny body, leaving the one circling his neck for last.  
"Are you going to let me do it myself then"  
"No. The straightjacket stays on"  
Crane smiled a somewhat twisted smile. "Even if you were to take it off, I doubth my arms would be much use after this long." Then abruptly he changed the subject. "Can we sit by the water"  
"Alright." Bruce helped him into a standing position.  
Immediately his legs gave way. Strong arms grabbed him before he could hit the ground.  
"I can't stand anymore, not after the last time"  
Green eyes flashed with shame. Carefully he lifted the other man and brought him to the edge of the pool. He had to keep an arm around the former phsychiatrist so he could sit up.  
They wew silent for a long while before Crane stated almost casualy, "when I was a child my great-gradmother used to hold me under the water." His gaze was fixed on the ripples. "I shouldn't have told you that. Now the next time the 'Bat-man' shows up I'll be drowning"  
Another long stretch of quiet.  
"I never know what to say when you're lucid like this. It's harder somehow"  
"You mean when I'm not a terrorized child or the always entertaining if psychotic Scarecrow"  
"Yea." He paused. The waterfall pounded the rocks. "I really am sorry you know"  
"I know. But you'll still do it again." 


	2. Guilt Won't Be Ignored

Since I got a few request to expand this (I'm glad you liked it btw happy) I decided to add this part. It was originally part of another story that I never really wrote. But I really liked this bit and it fits in well here. I might write another part but don't plan to right now.

88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

Jonathon said it as batman was pushing him down, pushing him into the ground, pushing inside him. The words never would have escaped his mouth if he had been sane. But his mind was twisted and fractured, then shattered by his own fear toxin. He was a long way from sane.

"I love you."

Batman pulled out instantly, scrambling to his feet. "What did you say?"

"I said I love you."

"No you don't!" He shouted, kicking him in the side. "You can't! You're a monster!"

He laughed, Scarecrow taking over. "Says the Bat-Man..."

"Shut-up! I'm nothing like you."

"Liar, liar, pants on fire."

Hands covered by black gloves grabbed hold of the straps on Crane's straightjacket, yanked him upright and slammed him into a wall.

"Shut. Up."

Ice blue eyes stared into green, sparkling with silent accusation.


	3. Want

Thank you Twinings and ..Ambulance for the reviews. makoto4ever I've been thinking about what will happen in the other story so hopefully I'll write that soon. Thanks for the review.

I got inspired to write another part of this so here it is. It's mostly dialoge cause that's what came out when I started writing.

* * *

"I want to help you."

"Well, you're doing it wrong." The tone of his voice was an attempt at sarcasm. The effect however was rather belied by the tears he struggled to hold back. "One would think that help does not usually involve broken bones," Crane continued. "How exactly is being constantly in pain supposed to help me?"

"That's not what I meant! I can't let you go. And sending you to Arkham would only make matters worse. I am trying to help you by keeping you here." Bruce paused. "Here," he shoved a yogurt drink into the smaller man's hands. "You need to eat something."

"Why?"

"Because you'll die if you don't."

"That would solve your problems and mine."

"No it wouldn't. You don't need to die Jonathan. You can be better than you are. I have to believe you can."

"And all the king's horses and all the king's men, couldn't put Humpty back together again," he whispered in a sing-song voice. "The damage is done."

"No. You can change."

Crane shook his head. It seemed overlarge on his tiny skeletal frame. "I can't."

Strong hands grabbed his shoulders, shaking him. "You can!"

"Three blind mice!" he shouted, laughing, "See how they run! They all ran after the farmer's wife! Who cut off their tails with a carving kni-" A punch to the face silenced him.

"I'm sorry," Bruce said.

Jonathan giggled, blood on his teeth. "I can't change." He smiled. "And neither can you."


	4. Point Of No Return

The Scarecrow was laughing when Bruce descended down into the Batcave. His bright eyes were wide and empty of all sanity.

"Are you going to do it now Bat-man? Are you? Or are you still deluding yourself that you're a good person?" He pulled against his chains. But even in this manic state he was far too weak to break free. "Are you ready yet? Are you ready to kill me?" He laughed again, throwing his head backwards so that it crashed into the dark stone wall. "I'm right here Batman. Take my life. Go on, take it!" A gloved hand shot out, closing around the villain's neck. "That's it," he whispered, barely able to speak against the pressure on his windpipe.

"I'm not going to kill you Crane." Bruce threw him roughly to the floor, forcing his legs apart. A finger pushed its way inside. The Scarecrow was gone. Crane was shaking. "Don't... please don't..." the former psychiatrist begged. There was no reply. He was flipped onto his stomach, smashing his face on the uneven ground. There was blood flowing over his features like a gruesome mask. "...don't," he whispered as he heard the fly unzip. Bruce pushed into him regardless.


	5. Comprehension

Thank you Amy Conner, Kirra Kills, Chi Briar, xxMooshkaxx, VioletCheckers and Red Queen Sovereign for the reviews!

* * *

"I don't understand you," Bruce said, sitting on a rock in the batcave, "any of you from Arkham."

"Of course you don't." Jonathan looked up at him, blood dripping into his eyes making the former psychiatrist blink. "You're too strong."

"I'm sorry," Bruce replied, thinking Crane was admonishing him for the latest beating. He knew he had to stop doing this; the smaller man was covered in cuts and bruises.

"I didn't mean physically. I meant mentally. You're unbalanced but you're not broken, not broken enough to understand at least." Absently he straightened a bent finger, seemingly oblivious to the pain.

"You're all insane and criminals, you don't care what pain your actions cause other people. I don't understand how you can be so cold. I'm glad I don't understand."

"Lack of empathy has many different causes. It can be genetic, congenital or it can be brought on by brain damage or conditioning." His manner was that of a college professor, explaining a topic to his class. He smiled and a touch of the Scarecrow came through in his voice. "There is a certain freedom however that comes with not caring. You will never feel that, not truly."

"How do you know?" Bruce asked. "Maybe I feel that way when I hurt you."

"Oh no my dear Bat-man, that is something quite different. That is rage." Jonathan smiled a deranged smile. "I know you love me really."


End file.
